Mary was born July 12th, 1933, to parents Henry and Cornelia Vriezelaar. Raised in rural Otley, Iowa, Mary enjoyed life on the farm with her five siblings. Mary graduated from Monroe High School in 1951. After graduation, she furthered her education at Iowa State Teachers College, now known as UNI. Mary completed the two-year program in 1953 and went on to teach for over a decade. She loved her time as a teacher, teaching in the Marshalltown, Conrad, and Ames school districts, as well as for the Central Iowa Christian Academy in Marshalltown.

In February of 1963, a friend set Mary up on a blind date with a bachelor from Marshalltown, William Schendel. After a year of knowing one another, they were married on June 6th, 1964. Mary and Bill were married for almost 50 years, until Bill’s passing in February of 2014. Mary and Bill loved traveling together and made it to many beautiful destinations. In 1970, they welcomed a son, William Schendel Jr.

Mary left teaching to join Bill Sr. in his business, Schendel Pest Control. For many years, she managed the books, took phone calls, and typed reports. You could often find her at her typewriter, working late into the evening hours to prepare for the next day. Mary and Bill made the house on the corner of 9th and Main in Marshalltown their home and ran the family business out of the house for many decades.

Social activities were very important to her. She was a longtime member in Delta Kappa Gama, a sorority for teachers, and she rarely missed a meeting. She also played a large role in local politics, serving for many years in the Marshall County Republicans and the Federation of Iowa Republican Women. Mary was proud to have served as the president of the Federation of Iowa Republican Women from 2002 to 2003, working with other politicians such as Kim Reynolds. Passionate about voting, Mary served as an election worker for many decades at the Iowa Veterans home and looked forward to seeing familiar faces from around the community.

Mary and Bill were founding members of Fellowship Baptist Church and began attending in 1963. Mary served as the church secretary for many decades and enjoyed helping the church in this way. She also taught a Sunday School class for over 50 years, faithfully serving and teaching many generations of girls within the church. Mary’s life is an example of how faithfulness in the little things can lead to many big blessings. Her life is a reminder to her family to continue to follow Christ and to faithfully serve others.

Mary will be missed by her son Bill (Dana) Schendel and her grandchildren, Rylee (Wayne) Fitzgerald, Abi (Dustin) Conway, Levi (Morgan) Schendel, Meredith Schendel, and Lydia Schendel. She leaves behind five great grandchildren, Laramie, Hadley, Logan, Ada, and Georgia. She is preceded in death by her parents, her five siblings, and her husband, Bill.

Anderson Funeral Homes of Marshalltown has been entrusted with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to www.andersonfhs.com.